What If There Were Two of Me?

Ning Shixue was still slumped on the sofa playing Tetris.

He only played the mode where the red and white blocks fell.
His pale fingertips constantly collided with the screen, like some kind of compulsion.

The bullet comments were urging him on.

[Stop playing, get up and go find your kid.
Give the child a complete childhood. doge]

[??? But I’m actually a bit worried.
Ning Shixue wouldn’t hit the kid, would he?]

The original host cared a lot about his image.
He had once flown into a rage because an assistant hadn’t cleaned his shoes well enough.

Let alone this coat Xie Yaoyao had taken.
It looked expensive.

Ning Shixue actually felt something was off too.

Xie Yaoyao was a chatterbox little kid.
He always wore his children’s smartwatch, which had Ning Shixue, Xie Zhaozhou, and the butler grandpa’s contact info saved.

Even when he put on a little sock, he’d send voice messages to everyone.
Though only the butler grandpa ever replied.

As the saying goes: when a child is quiet, they must be up to something.

It had been over half an hour, and Xie Yaoyao hadn’t sent any messages.
Ning Shixue decided to go find him.

It was almost time for the official recording to start; they needed to head to the amusement park.
He Lin and the others went with Ning Shixue.
When they reached the kids’ area, they saw the little ones all huddled together, heads touching.

They were even excitedly chattering away, no one noticing the impending danger.

Ji Qing frowned where the cameras couldn’t see.
Before coming, he had given Ji Xiao a children’s book, telling him to find a little stool in the play area and read.

But Ji Xiao was huddled with Xie Yaoyao and the others.
No matter how clean the play mat looked, it was still dusty.

He’d have to wash his pants again later.

Xiaoxiao,
Ji Qing walked over, bending down, his voice very gentle.
What are you all doing…

Before he could finish, he saw the black suit jacket, now a mess of scribbles.
His face instantly went pale.

Xie Yaoyao and the others had disagreed midway.
Xie Yaoyao wanted to draw little monsters and the villain lop-eared rabbit from Forest Bunny Police.
But Tang Haohao thought drawing only little monsters would be cooler.

He Miao suggested they give the bunny a ballet tutu, because that would be cuter.

Ji Xiao didn’t say anything.
But with Xie Yaoyao’s permission, he drew a little red flower on the sleeve.

In kindergarten, a little red flower was the highest reward.

In the end, Xie Yaoyao decided they all had good points.
He cupped his chubby face in his hands and said generously,
No matter, we together, all can draw.

The cameraman beside them had watched the whole process.
He couldn’t help but wipe cold sweat from his forehead.

What could he do?
He couldn’t stop them.

Xiaoxiao!
Ji Qing looked up, his face drained of color.
He pulled Ji Xiao up and made him stand, his voice stern but trembling.
Apologize to Little Ning Gege!

Ji Xiao was startled.
Tears instantly welled up.

[My heart aches for Qingqing, he’s so scared of Ning Shixue.
Little Tangyuan is usually so well-behaved, but he’s learning bad things from them.]

[??? Ji Qing’s fans, are you okay?
Ning Shixue hasn’t even said anything.]

[I’m going to die laughing.
The internet has no memory, right?
Ning Shixue’s dirty tricks on set are all whitewashed now?
Even if he doesn’t flip out now, who knows how he’ll treat Ji Qing in private?
Can’t we feel bad for him?]

Ning Shixue also spotted the jacket.
He suddenly understood how Xie Zhaozhou must have felt last night when he ran into him and Xie Yaoyao.

He was silent for a moment, then stole Xie Zhaozhou’s line.
‘May I ask what you are doing?’

Xie Yaoyao immediately stuck out his little bottom and scrambled up.

The little curls on his head stood up.
His fair, soft, chubby face was flushed from exertion.
His eyes were like a puppy’s, moist and bright.
He said, a little shyly,
Baby, very pretty.

What nonsense was this.

Ning Shixue asked around until he understood what they’d been doing.
Then he fell into an even deeper silence.

Well, well.

But this was Xie Zhaozhou’s jacket.

He had forgotten to return it last night.
He had planned to wash it first, then give it back.

The atmosphere felt off, and Ning Shixue hadn’t given him a kiss.
Xie Yaoyao finally realized he might have messed up.

His little toes curled under his socks.
His chubby little hands still clutched the crayons, covered in color.

Sorry, Little Ning Gege,
Ji Xiao held back his tears and went over to apologize to Ning Shixue.

Ji Qing pursed his lips, pressing his palm on Ji Xiao’s shoulder, his knuckles white from tension.
He looked very uneasy, yet tried hard to conceal it.
He asked Ning Shixue,
Teacher Ning, I’m so sorry. How much is this jacket? Let me compensate you.

[Why??? Xie Yaoyao did it himself, why should Qingqing pay?]

[This is why I hate bratty kids.]

[I’m getting a whiff of something. Ning Shixue didn’t ask him to pay.
Who is he putting on this act for?]

[A kid ruined someone else’s clothes.
A normal parent would think they should pay for it.
What’s wrong with that?
These days, being gentle and kind gets you labeled a ‘green tea.’
If you’re only satisfied with unreasonable, spoiled rich kids like Ning Shixue, then fine.]

Ning Shixue was still worrying about how he’d compensate Xie Zhaozhou.
He only had a few hundred yuan left to his name.

But Ji Xiao suddenly apologized to him, so he put that thought aside for a moment.
He lifted his eyelashes, seeming to smile, and casually tousled Ji Xiao’s little head.
What are you crying for? Didn’t you all want to give me a present?
Wait for me a moment, I’ll be right down.

Ning Shixue went to his and Xie Yaoyao’s room.
When he came down, he was holding a white shirt.

You took the wrong one, this is your big daddy’s clothes,
Ning Shixue handed the shirt to Xie Yaoyao.
‘Draw on this one.’

Xie Yaoyao blinked his big eyes.

‘But only this one,’
Ning Shixue added.

After Xie Sui died, Xie Yaoyao had lived with his mother at the old Xie residence for a year and a half.
It wasn’t until his mother also passed away that Xie Zhaozhou took him in.

Maybe from being around Liao Yanwan for so long, Xie Yaoyao was very good at reading people’s moods.
He was especially sensitive to anger.
Seeing Ning Shixue genuinely wasn’t mad, he crawled over and pressed his chubby little face against Ning Shixue’s arm.
Why?

Children’s faces are soft and warm.
Ning Shixue hated being touched, but he didn’t mind Xie Yaoyao.

‘If there were two Xie Yaoyaos, which one should I play with?’
Ning Shixue simply took off his shoes and sat with them on the play mat.
Those beautiful eyes curved as he said nonsensically,
‘People on Earth are greedy.
If you have one beautiful thing, you cherish it.
If you have many, you don’t care anymore.’

[Listen to yourself, like you’re an alien.]

[Hehe, even sexier.
That would make me and wifey interspecies, right? doge]

[??? You’re not right.]

[Redefining interspecies.]

But Ning Shixue didn’t expect that as soon as he finished speaking, Xie Yaoyao’s eyes suddenly reddened.
Tears splashed onto his fair, tender cheeks.
He wiped his tears with his chubby little hands, sobbing so hard he couldn’t speak.

Ning Shixue was baffled by his crying.
He hadn’t even scolded him.
He poked Xie Yaoyao.
What you crying for?

He was so poor, and now he owed a debt because of this chubby kid.
This jacket of Xie Zhaozhou’s must be tens of thousands, right?

And he wasn’t even crying.

Beside them, Ji Qing’s face alternated between pale and red.
He hadn’t expected Ning Shixue to completely ignore him.

And Ning Shixue wasn’t even angry?

Had he gone crazy?

During the filming of Slaying the Whale, Ning Shixue’s makeup artist got the worst scolding.
In fact, he’d cursed out almost everyone on the crew.
Now he wasn’t angry?

[Why does Ji Qing look so awful?
Kinda scary.]

[I want to know why Xie Yaoyao is crying even more.
Crying baby looks like a little puppy.]

Xie Yaoyao was in the grip of a major crisis.
His eyelashes were clumped together with tears.
He sobbed and murmured,
Baby, also has two, Xie Xingxing then?

Children naturally become closer to whoever they spend more time with.

Xie Yaoyao really had hated this bad stepdad.
But Ning Shixue didn’t seem so bad anymore.
He didn’t constantly call him little fatty and poke his tummy.

Yet Ning Shixue suddenly said, if there were two of him, he wouldn’t care anymore.
Xie Xingxing felt very wronged.

Ning Shixue: “…”

The bullet comments didn’t understand what Xie Yaoyao meant.
But children seemed to communicate without barriers.

Yaoyao didi, you mean if there were two of you?
He Miao tilted her head.
I also have two names.

Why?
Tang Haohao was confused.

Didn’t everyone just have one name?

I’m He Miao,
He Miao said.
I also have a Russian name, Oksana.

He Lin’s mother was Russian.
Every year, he took He Miao to stay there for a while.

Then I also have two names!
Tang Haohao wasn’t about to be outdone.
I’m Tang Hao, and can also be called Haohao!

Xie Yaoyao’s eyes were already red as a rabbit’s.
His milky voice choked with tears.
I have three names.
When stepdad praises me, he calls me Xie Xingxing.
When I do bad things, he calls me Xie Yaoyao.
When I’m so bad even Big Daddy has to spank my bottom, I’m Xie Yaoxing.

As Xie Yaoyao spoke, he somehow made himself feel wronged.
Like he was about to get spanked by Xie Zhaozhou right now.
Tears splashed onto his cheeks in grievance.

Wahhh, he just couldn’t bear this injustice.
He plopped down and hugged Ning Shixue’s leg.

The bullet comments were in stitches.

[Well, well.
Self-awareness is strong here.]

[Thanks, laughed my abs out.
Can someone tell me how to steal a kid?]